FWD
- Front Wheel Drive
FWD
is the abbreviation for Front Wheel Drive. Front wheel drive
cars use CV joints extending from the transmission to provide
power to the front wheels. FWD cars generally have more 'predictable'
and easy handling over RWD (Rear Wheel Drive) cars. Which is why it is found on most
small cars and family vehicles. A drawback to more powerful
front wheel drive cars is a phenomenon called 'torque steer'.
The technology involved in front-wheel drive is more complex
than that of rear wheel drive because it requires the front wheels to combine
the tasks of steering and propulsion. Front-wheel drive, in
which the weight of the engine and transmission falls over
the drive wheels, improves road holding in many situations,
and often enables a car to corner better because the front
wheels pull the car round the corner, instead of trying to
push it straight on. This is a particular advantage in ice
and snow, but in these conditions the rear-wheel drive vehicle
may be at an advantage when climbing hills. This is because
the weight of the front-wheel drive car is thrown on to the
rear wheels, thus allowing the front wheels to spin. A further
advantage of front-wheel drive (shared with rear-drive, rear-engined
cars), is the absence of a drive shaft under the floor, which makes it easier
to build a low body. This is desirable from the point of view
of styling, and helps improve the road-holding because the
center of gravity of the vehicle if lower.
One of the complications with front-wheel drive is the universal joint, which must be of the constant-velocity
type.
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